astronomy

Sherzer Observatory

Sherzer Observatory is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Sherzer Observatory rather than just read about it. In short: Sherzer Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. The observatory was established in 1903 with the construction of the new Natural Science Building, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Key takeaways

Sherzer Observatory belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Sherzer Observatory to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Sherzer Observatory from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Sherzer Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the campus of Eastern Michigan University. The observatory was established in 1903 with the construction of the new Natural Science Building, in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Following a devastating fire in 1989 a new observatory opened in September 1991 with a 10-inch (250 mm) apochromatic refractor telescope and German equatorial mount centered under a 6-meter dome.

History

The Michigan State Normal College received a gift from the citizens of Ypsilanti: a 4-inch (100 mm), $600 Alvan Clark refractor. The original observatory was located on old Pierce Hall and was damaged by a tornado and destroyed in 1893. It was then relocated to the roof of the new Natural Science Building in 1903. The building and observatory was later named after William Sherzer, a science professor at the school who conceived the design for the new building after seeing similar facilities on a visit to Germany. In 1928, a 10-inch (250 mm) refractor telescope manufactured by telescope maker and amateur astronomer John Mellish was installed on a German equatorial mount built by physics professor Edwin Strong. The University Archives still has data produced by students using this telescope and the brass Negus transit telescope which shared the observatory with the Mellish refractor. In the 1970s and 1980s, members of the EMU student astronomy club made numerous updates and restorations to keep the aging observatory running. Almost half of Sherzer Hall was destroyed in a fire in 1989, including the original observatory. The university decided to rebuild. The new observatory opened in September 1991 with a 10-inch (250 mm) apochromatic refractor telescope and German equatorial mount centered under a 6-meter dome. A classroom/computer lab was finished in 1997, and additional 8-inch (200 mm) to 14-inch (360 mm) telescopes, CCD cameras, and other equipment added to the inventory for student use. A secondary observatory with an automated 8-inch (200 mm) SCT for CCD imaging was added to the rooftop level, becoming operational in 2008.

Sherzer Hall

Sherzer Hall is an academic building on the Eastern Michigan University campus, located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Sherzer Hall is one of four buildings comprising the Eastern Michigan University Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was designed by E. W.. Arnold of Battle Creek and survived two fires. Sherzer Hall has a red-brick exteriors Sherzer's exterior has a few mildly Romanesque and Georgian elements. Due to its unique style causes it to defies stylistic classification. Sherzer also is home to Sherzer Observatory which was established in 1878 and eventually moved to the top of Sherzer Hall in 1903.

See also List of astronomical observatories

Notes

References Norbert Vance. "Sherzer Observatory Homepage". EMU Sherzer Observatory. Retrieved December 14, 2005.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Sherzer Observatory

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Sherzer Observatory claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Sherzer Observatory before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Sherzer Observatory ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Sherzer Observatory

In research: Sherzer Observatory appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Sherzer Observatory in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Sherzer Observatory is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1878 establishments in Michigan, Astronomical observatories in Michigan, Buildings and structures completed in 1903, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Sherzer Observatory outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Sherzer Observatory in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Sherzer Observatory means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Sherzer Observatory out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sherzer Observatory in simple terms?

Why does Sherzer Observatory matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Sherzer Observatory?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Sherzer Observatory.